Making history is fun for Steve Spurrier

When Steve Spurrier took over the South Carolina football program in 2005, the former Florida Gator and NFL coach wanted to set the school mark for victories one day.

He said it was more of an affirmation to let fans, and job prospectors, know that he was in it for the long haul.

"The only reason I said that was a goal of mine because I wanted people to know I would be here 8-10 years and go from there," Spurrier said Tuesday. "I said it the first year that was my goal. Hopefully it will happen, but it hasn't happened yet."

That day is quickly approaching.

With a win Saturday over Wofford, Spurrier would notch Gamecock victory No. 64, tying him with Rex Enright atop the career wins list at USC.

A victory over Clemson on Nov. 24 or a win in the bowl game would put Spurrier atop that list before season's end.

He likes history; he'll talk all day about old games or plays he's experienced in his 50 years of college and pro football.

He also pays attention to stats and records, and the latter certainly drives him as a man and coach.

"When I got the job here, I just sort of checked out the history," he said. "We've had some really good coaches here, guys with winning records. I guess Rex Enright is the only coach that has really coached more than about 10 year or so. They had a lot of coaching with winning records. Coach Enright overall did not have a winning record, but he is the winningest coach here and so forth. It is always interesting looking at history and sort of see what's happened."

Sure, he dodged the question about what it'll mean to become the winningest coach in South Carolina history, saying to ask him about it when he reaches that milestone. He'd rather wait until he actually does it.

And that's fine. But Spurrier is as competitive a person as they come.

Was that 2005 statement a way of firing up the fan base? Sure, but he also saw a chance to rewrite history books, something he did at Florida.

Spurrier didn't earn the nickname "Darth Visor" from his Gator days because he lost and was gracious doing so. His name is a play on words of one of movie history's most infamous villains for a reason.

The same thing that makes him loathed by the opposition and loved by the schools he coaches for is the same thing that makes him a winning legend.

He not only cares about history, he enjoys making it.

In a day where coaches are just looking for the next job and rarely take the time to embrace and try to change history, Spurrier offers a refreshing approach.

That's why he's still coaching at age 67. That's why he hasn't bolted for more historical programs like Alabama or LSU.

"Every time we play Georgia and Tennessee I tell the guys this is one reason I came here so we could coach against Georgia and Tennessee because it is always fun if you can beat those guys ... along with winning the SEC," Spurrier said. "We're in the South and the tradition was not all that great, was not all that super (at USC). Nowhere to go but up. I like those situations. A whole bunch of first we can achieve there at South Carolina if we can get it going."

No, he hasn't won an SEC title, his and the fan base's top priority, yet. But he has played in that big game in Atlanta once, and the Gamecocks are more competitive than they've ever been and are on pace for their second consecutive season with double-digit wins.

"We hoped in eight years that might have a chance," Spurrier said. "Of course, three years ago, it looked like it might take 10 or 12 years to get to 64. We've had a good run here he last two years and we're having a good run now. We're trying to have the best year we can have this year and if we can achieve some of those firsts along the way, that's fun."